


Arboreal

by orphan_account



Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Friendship/Love, Hurt/Comfort, Romance, Spring
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-08
Updated: 2017-03-08
Packaged: 2018-10-01 04:04:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10180271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: There will always be wars to win but tonight, the cherry blossoms are swelling under the moonlight.





	

Kakashi had yet to learn to feign ignorance on certain pressing matters, it seems.

In his defense, Naruto had been absolutely unrelenting (read : would not move until Kakashi said, _yes, yes, fine!_ And repeated himself. And promised. Again.) He had showed up at his office at high morning still, and Kakashi had to brace himself for the worst because Naruto was never even up before noon for Kami’s sake. So there he was, with his blue eyes blown wide and that obvious and ridiculous pout, the card wrinkled beyond redemption in his hands, he had whined for about straight thirty minutes: _please Kakashi, please, pleeease._

Shikamaru had all but mumbled something on the lines of ‘troublesome’ and shuffled out of the room, telling them to wrap up their business as fast as they could because Kakashi had yet to go through and sign, approximately, five-hundred something documents. Oh joy.

So really, he could not justify to why he was re-reading the letter for the third time, the perfect kanji strokes in black tasteful ink and crisp white papers that even Naruto could not completely wreck. It was night now and yes, he had dutifully gone through the documents with Shikamaru and for now, he was leaning against his leather chair. The window was open and something of a sweet night breeze got to him before he could get to sigh imperceptibly at how very pathetic he was.

He sets the Hokage-hat on his, now clean, desk with the invitation, smoothing it with the back of his hands gently and leaning back in his chair again. He rests his feet on the desk, all the while massaging his eyes with his gloved hands. So this was him huh. Kakashi copy-nin, Kakashi of the hundred jutsu, formerly Kakashi of the Sharingan, War hero and now, Hokage.

He was getting old, too old. Too old for this.

 _Idiot Hatake,_ he imagines Obito chiding, _stop wallowing like that. It doesn’t suit you, you know. What would Rin say?_

“You’re right Obito. I’m sorry.” Kakashi whispers to the cool, still air of his office and mentally strangely himself for addressing an empty room for his old friend. He gets up, patting down his more than usual unkempt hair, hastily stuffing the card in the pocket of his pants, and closes the window firmly. He crosses over to the door of his office and the ANBU outside his door bow in a requisite greeting as he walks away, past them, down the corridors.

“You are dismissed. Thank you, Taka. Kiyo.” Kakashi calls over his shoulder lightly and he knows that the ANBU have flickered past and out.

Kakashi, as soon as he collapses in his bed, feels the crinkly paper in his pockets as he begins to sleep. He takes it out, gingerly, rests it on his side table. He tosses over, closing his eyes, pulling the comfort over his head and while recalling the words again. It shouldn’t be like this, he shouldn’t feel like this.

But when the spell of sleep takes him completely, for a brief moment he can almost see the pale ruddiness of her hair against the blooming cherry trees.

-

_“Dear Kakashi,_

_I hope this letter has received you in good health and I hope Naruto has delivered it in time. I know that you are very busy these days but I was hoping you would come to the cherry blossoms blooming tomorrow? I will be returning in time from my mission and it is the first spring after the war, and after Sasuke-kun’s release, I was hoping that all of us, together should celebrate the hanami tomorrow…”_

-

Shikamaru does not take a break from his daily routine with Kakashi. Like every day, he is slamming a mug of sloshing, piping hot tea on his desk and getting straight to business. However unlike routine, he is not sauntering out of the building to get a smoke. He knows and Kakashi knows, with a detached sense of amusement, that a certain Akimichi and a certain Yamanaka will undoubtedly tie him up and proceed happily to the hanami in tow with him, the moment they spot him outside.

Which, Kakashi knows, he has little interest in but Shikamaru will attend, knowing Ino’s hell-bent wrath and that Mirai will be there, but only when Kakashi and he go through their respective tasks of the day. They don’t say it aloud, of course, blissful on their own sense of comfort but they both hurry, unconsciously – or maybe not, because they both feel the buzz of spring bloom in the air and the empty streets are much of a tell-tale to where half of Konoha’s population is at.

By late noon they have sorted out through various letter of the lords and gone through several documents and he has assigned missions. It almost feels like any normal day, as the minutes tick by, but the crinkle of paper in Kakashi’s pocket begs to differ. He wonders if Sakura would have reached Konoha by now. No. She would have come to his office to report success of the mission with her assigned team-mates, Shizune and Shino.

“Going to the hanami, eh Kakashi?”

Kakashi looks up, almost imperceptivity from the arduous task of combing his hair. “Oh?”

Shikamaru just smiles a wry sort of smile. “Sure, then. I’ll take that as a yes.” He clears his throat, straightening his collar. “Yup. Me too, it seems. Ino and Choji are waiting. I’ll be going now. Coming?”

“After a while, Shikamaru. I have to intercept the mission completion scroll for Shizune’s team, hmm? I will be coming with Sakura, I suppose.”

“Sure. See you later then.” Shikamaru says, stepping out.

Kakashi raises a hand in an almost cheery wave, “See you.” And Shikamaru slips out of the office, smirking.

He smiles behind his mask. Any minute now and Shizune’s team will arrive with Sakura… and he tells himself he is not feeling nervous. Heck, what’s to feel nervous about? Maybe it’s the flowery talk of spring is seriously getting to his head? Kakashi checks his hair again in the mirror again and only ever notices the faint lines of crow feet at the side of his eyes. Barely there, but there, nevertheless.

-

_“…I think the whole of Konoha will be there, and the celebrations should go on until dawn. Team 10 and Team 8 will join us too, with Kurenai, Mirai and Yamato. I did wish Gai , Tenten and Lee should join us but it cannot be helped, they are on a mission, as you know. It will be a wonderful time anyhow Kakashi, and you know Team Seven isn’t complete without you. I sincerely wish that even if you are not able to remain the whole day, you join us for a few hours…”_

-

Shizune is walking in his office and Kakashi looks up.

“I hope the mission went well?”

Shizune, nods. She is peeling off her jounin jacket hastily, running fingers through her short hair and slaps the mission scroll on his table. Kakashi cocks a quizzing eyebrow at her clearly hurried, and very strange behavior.

“Shizune?”

She breathes through her nose and bows, a deep bow. “I am sorry for the hurry Hokage-same, but it seems Genma is angry at me for not showing up at the earliest convenience for the flower-bloom. I shall be leaving now-“

“But-“

“Ah yes! Sakura and Shino are alright, unharmed.” She pauses. “Well, Sakura had a hairline fracture on her left arm at an ambush, but it’s healed up completely save for a little soreness. Oh and Sakura had dropped by at her house to change and Shino had joined Hinata and Kiba. Sakura asked for you. Good bye! And I’m sorry for this!”  
Kakashi opens his mouth, closes it. Shizune is already whizzing past his head, out of the window, surely leaping from roof to roof towards where the hanami is going by at full swing. Kakashi suddenly feels very alone.

Very well. He had promised Naruto after all. Kakashi slips out of the window and is soon, in step with Shizune. She smiles and talks of nothing as he catches up. He grins like a little boy, for he can almost see the head of the pink blossoms, well into the night, lit by temporary kerosene lamps of golden hue and can almost hear the twinkling laughs and soft music and bento being passed over.

Upon reaching the entrance to the park grounds where the cherry blossoms are lined up, he can see how there is not even room to take a single step. The grass is covered by a layer of blankets, cloths, picnic baskets. The blossoms seem impossibly ethereal in the moonlight and Shizune gasps, reveling in its beauty, and she is not the only one. Kakashi leaps over the wall, onto a sweet smelling low branch his head bumping ungracefully into a patch of sakura-blossoms and startles a civilian family consisting of two twin girls and an elderly mother or grandmother sitting on a red cloth.

“Hello! This is your Hokage. Have you ladies seen Uzumaki Naruto anywhere here?”

“H-Hokage-sama!” The older woman exclaims. “Y-Yes! He’s to the left of us, straight ahead!”

Shizune is next to him in a flash and one of the twins startles, spilling her sake on the blanket.

“Thank you ma’am. Shall we, Shizune?”

“Please. Sorry for the trouble.” Shizune smiles apologetically at the women and they continue, this time jumping over the smallest of spaces they can find and narrowly missing people and baskets. Kakashi sees the peculiar hair of Sasuke before anything else, his back visible, probably scowling (or smiling) into his sake as Naruto expressively explains something. Kurenai is smiling with a flustered looking Shikamaru and Ino who is doubling over with laughter. Shino regards his paper cup with suspicion and sips the moment Sai makes a droll observation his way which leaves Shino coughing over the sip. Choji is snarfing down dango in tow with Kiba and Akamaru while Hinata and Yamato gush over a gurgling baby Mirai.

“Kakashi!” It is Kurenai who exclaims this, she is wearing a striking red yukata, with her hair pulled up, a sakura petal rested somewhat in the center of her hair-parting. Shizune and Kakashi immediately wave, and Naruto is smiling wider, waving back with his arms raised and shouting something akin to, “You came! You came!”  
There is much greeting, waving, customary ‘hns’ on Sasuke’s part and even hugging. But Naruto pauses that moment, his eyes going wide like saucers, looking behind Kakashi and Shizune, even Sasuke looks over his shoulder.

“Sakura-chan!” Naruto says, “Wow! You look-“ he trails off but they know what he means.

Beautiful, stunning, _beautiful._ With an almost regal strength to her shoulders yet a gentle healing palm, twisting up for a small wave. She is adorned in a light pink kimono, plain, yet with bright green leaves and sweet subtle designs which are barely there but bring out the impossible green of her eyes and the sweep of her soft hair over her neck, onto her shoulder, secured by a loosely done braid. Her hair is longer than before.

“Sakura.” Kakashi breathes, becoming undone.

-

_“…It has been far too long that we carry the stain of war fresh in our minds. With this, we will be able to get past the shadows and start anew. I would like to spend the following evening, laughing with all of you…”_

-

Shizune leaves shortly after that in search for Genma and the rest of them. Kakashi almost follows her when Yamato pulls him to them, with a “Whoa, Kakashi-senpai where do you think you’re going? You just got here!”

Kakashi purses his lips, swallows the dry feeling in his throat, and braces a cup of sake pushed into his hand by a laughing Ino who is thumping Sakura on the back. Kakashi tries not to stare at her and turns his attention to Naruto, who, Kakashi realizes belatedly is back to talking loudly.

“Kakashi doesn’t Sakura-chan look _sooo_ pretty!? Like, the cherry-blossoms falling _aaaalll_ around us…” Yes, he is clearly drunk on too much peach sake, and Kakashi caches the paper cup from his hand.

“No more of that Naruto.”

“But Kakashiiii!” Naruto whines and slouches, leaning into Sasuke and Sasuke visibly starts. Kakashi notice with amusement, the pink dusting his pale cheeks as he, tries to at least, push the rambling blonde away. _Well, well_. Sasuke scowls at Kakashi, his ears still red and Kakashi just raises Naruto’s cup at Sasuke’s direction, tipping it in a private toast, smiling while Naruto is oblivious to his apparent admirer and former-sensei shooting each other pointed looks.

It’s a peaceful hour after that. Kakashi leans back, sips his own sake, talks with Kurenai and Yamato and let’s Mirai attempt to pull at his mask, which, when yanked down, has another mask in place which is too much for drunken Ino and Naruto to take as they laugh, loud and unabashed, shoving each other while Sasuke and Shino wince at the sound. Kiba has passed out in a very red-faced Hinata’s lap and Akamaru is licking his seemingly peaceful face.

And Sakura…despite himself he had glanced her way, and she was talking good naturedly with Sai, Shikamaru and Choji, untouched dango in her hands. She smiled when she had caught Kakashi’s eye and Kakashi had to look away.

It’s another hour that Kurenai heaves a now, snoring Mirai on her chest and bids them good night. Hinata and Shino balance Kiba on their shoulders and bid their goodbyes too, Yamato and Sai accompany them outside, and it is only then that Kakashi notices that the park is emptier than before, the lamps slightly dimmed. Thirty minutes more and a yawning Shikamaru drags a hysterical Ino out with Choji, waving goodbye.

So when Sakura sits beside him, handing him more sake, and Kakashi downs it immediately feeling warmer and at ease than ever before. It unfurls his limbs, and he feels as if he can breathe easily now. Definitely getting a little tipsy there. They don’t say anything, not for a while, but they don’t look at each other either. He glances back at Sasuke, who is watching the sakura petals float down, slow and steady as Naruto snores on his chest. Sasuke does not seem bothered by it anymore, in fact, he has a hand gently resting on Naruto’s back. Sakura was right, in her letter, if anything else.

So when she is holding his hand, in her smooth palms, he lets her and when she is steering him away, he lets her. They are on a bench now, Kakashi didn’t realize there was one.  
“Kakashi.” Her voice is soft, soft. He does not look at her. “Why have you been avoiding me like this?”

He sighs into his cup, finally looking over, and she has a film of moisture in her wide, green eyes.

“Sakura… it’s nothing you did it’s- it’s me, I-I”

“Kakashi.” She says, again, softer than ever as she pulls him into her arms and he lets her. “Kakashi.” It’s soothing now, how her lips press into his hair and her arms are tight around him. He presses his face at her neck, her smooth, creamy skin and he wants to breathe _I love you_ at her collarbone but he-

“It’s alright. I’m fine. You’re fine. We’re fine.”

And that’s enough for now.

-  
_“For it is finally spring and winter has ended in more than one ways._

_\- Love, Sakura.”_

**Author's Note:**

> It’s spring where I live, and it’s so beautiful I swear. We don’t have cherry blossoms of course, but we have ‘Flames of the forest’ trees blooming everywhere and kite flying competitions and I’m feeling a little in love with a beautiful girl. Also, I’ve never really contributed to KS fandom except doing KS Week prompts which were shucky and written hastily. So here you have it : A little sad, fluff job of a one-shot written in a spur of emotions, sitting in my lil backyard which smells like pears and wet grass around this time of the year.
> 
> I hope that you liked it! Please do leave your memento in the form of a review. It will mean the world to me!
> 
> -Pari.


End file.
